(Not Applicable)
(Not Applicable)
The present invention relates generally to cycling trainer assemblies, and more particularly to an improved cycling trainer assembly utilizing a motive force such as a motor to rotate the rear wheel of the cycle in a direction opposite to the pedaling direction. A trainee eccentrically exercises specific leg muscles utilized for cycling by resisting such rotation by applying a counter rotational force upon the cycle""s pedals.
It is common knowledge that pedaling strength and power are essential factors in creating greater cycling performance. As such, a typical cyclist who tries to improve performance trains endlessly to develop superior muscular pedaling strength and power. Because pedaling strength and power are acquired when leg muscles produce force, the competition cyclist often performs extensive leg exercise and weight training. Put simply, the greater the force produced by the cyclist""s leg muscles, the more they gain in pedaling strength and power.
Muscle strength development correlates directly to the intensity of the exercise. For example, more strength is gained by lifting heavy weights than by lifting light weights. There are three different types of muscular action: concentric, isometric, and eccentric. In general, a concentric muscular contraction/exercise occurs when the muscle fibers shorten while producing force. An isometric muscular contraction/exercise is defined when the muscles contract against a fixed object and there is no change in the muscle fibers"" length. Lastly, an eccentric muscular exercise occurs when the muscle fibers lengthen while producing force. The understanding of how the muscles produce force plays a significant role in developing superior pedal strength and power.
Eccentric exercise has the potential of producing much greater strength in muscles than a concentric exercise. More particularly, it is found that the muscles can develop 20% to 70% more power during eccentric exercise than concentric exercise. In this regard, eccentric muscular exercises have the ability to overload the muscles to a much greater degree than concentric muscular exercises. Consequently, the eccentric muscular exercises result in greater strength and power than the concentric muscular exercises, and they are accomplished with less perceived effort and lower heart rate.
Various types of prior art cycling trainer assemblies are currently being used to enhance cycling performance. However, these prior art assemblies are all designed for concentric muscular exercises, and are totally devoid of providing any meaningful eccentric muscular exercises. One example of such prior art cycling trainer assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,782, entitled xe2x80x9cBicycle Exercising Apparatus,xe2x80x9d and issued to James Blackburn on Sep. 6, 1988, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. In that patent, a cycling trainer assembly which is used to support a cycle""s rear wheel is described. The rear wheel rotates upon a roller along a pedaling direction, and the assembly comprises a fan resistance device that applies a resistive force to the rotation of the roller. In this respect, the fan resistance device impedes the rotation of the rear wheel and thereby provides exercise to its user.
Other prior art cycling trainer assemblies utilize a magnetic brake in lieu of the fan resistance device to provide an adjustable braking force to the cycle""s rear wheel. A typical example of such assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,150, reissued as reissue Pat. No. Re. 34,479, entitled xe2x80x9cResistance Applying Means For Exercising Apparatus,xe2x80x9d and reissued to Chihiro Minoura on Dec. 14, 1993, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. Moreover, some prior art assemblies resort to hydraulic-based resistance devices to impede the rotation of the cycle""s rear wheel.
All of the above-mentioned prior art cycling trainer assemblies only provide concentric muscular exercises as they merely provide resistive forces necessary to impede the rotation of the cycle""s wheel along the normal forward pedaling direction. There is no eccentric muscular exercise being performed when using these prior art assemblies. Certainly, due to the limitations in their structures and functions, the prior art assemblies fail to exercise the leg muscles eccentrically and thereby do not produce the muscular strength development that is possible through eccentric exercise.
In view of the above-described shortcomings of the prior art cycling trainer assemblies, there exists a need in the art for a cycling trainer assembly which can readily provide both concentric and eccentric muscular exercises. More specifically, there exists a need for a cycling trainer assembly which can optimally and specifically provide the eccentric muscular exercise to the leg muscles that are necessary for maximum cycling strength.
The present invention specifically addresses and alleviates the above-referenced deficiencies associated with the use of cycling trainer assemblies of the prior art. In particular, the present invention comprises an improved cycling trainer assembly which is adapted to optimally provide either or both concentric and eccentric exercises to leg muscles. More particularly, the specific assembly of the present invention is capable of concentrating upon such leg muscles and eccentrically exercise the same. In this respect, the present invention""s cycling trainer assembly recognizes that greater exercise intensity can be supported during eccentric actions of the leg muscles, and thus renders an intense eccentric muscular exercise so as to efficiently raise the overall cycling exercise performance.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a cycling trainer assembly which affords an optimal eccentric muscular exercise to the legs of a trainee. The assembly of the present invention comprises first and second frame members connected to each other to define a wheel-receiving body. Preferably, these frame members are each fabricated from a tubular metallic material and are pivotally connected to each other in a way that the first frame member can transition between stowed and operative positions with respect to the second frame member. Moreover, the first frame member comprises two arcuate end portions which jointly define a lock mechanism thereat. As will be demonstrated below, this lock mechanism is used to securely engage a rear wheel of a cycle.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a wheel-rotating unit, i.e. a motive force provider, is attachable to the second frame member. The wheel-rotating unit includes an elongated rotatable shaft configured to contact the rear wheel of the cycle and rotate the same opposite to the normal pedaling direction (xe2x80x9ccounter-pedaling directionxe2x80x9d) preferably between a plurality of adjustable rotational speeds. The wheel rotating unit of the present invention is preferably implemented as an electric motor, however, it will be recognized herein that any devices which provide rotational motions along the counter-pedaling direction may be used in lieu of the electric motor (e.g., a pneumatic or a hydraulic device). Further, in the preferred embodiment, the wheel-rotating unit is engaged to the frame in a removable and/or releasable manner for the reasons that will be clear below.
In operation, the trainee may simply lock in the rear wheel of the cycle to the lock mechanism when the first frame member is disposed in an operative extended xe2x80x9cupxe2x80x9d position. Then, the first frame member is pivoted downwardly toward a xe2x80x9cdownxe2x80x9d position such that an outer periphery of the cycle rear wheel contacts the rotatable shaft of the motor. Upon such contact, the trainee can activate the motor to rotate the rotatable shaft which causes the rear wheel and pedals to rotate in the counter-pedaling direction. This rotation is facilitated by the weight of the trainee riding upon the cycle whereby sufficient frictional force between the rotatable shaft and cycle tire is achieved. Thereafter, the trainee conducts an eccentric leg muscular exercise by attempting to resist the backward rotation of the rear wheel by applying a standard forward pedaling force upon the pedals in the usual pedaling direction. The trainee repeats the application of regularly forward pedaling force upon the pedals in the normal pedaling direction as the rear wheel and pedals are continuously caused to rotate in reverse.
The present invention additionally may allow the trainee to switch to an alternate mode of providing a concentric leg muscular exercise. More specifically, the trainee may simply remove the wheel-rotating unit from the second frame member and install a conventional mechanical braking device in its place (e.g., magnetic, pneumatic, and hydraulic devices). The mechanical braking device provides desired conventional resistive force to the rotation of the rear wheel in the pedaling direction. In this respect, the trainee pedals against the resistive force to thereby concentrically exercise the trainee""s leg muscles. Of course, the mechanical braking device can be replaced with the wheel-rotating unit when the trainee desires for an eccentric leg muscular exercise.